Career studio / Web Development
Build evidence for the Node.js Back-End Developer role
A workshop organizer needs a task API for coordinators. Define and implement a local API with consistent errors, input validation and clear asynchronous behavior.
Your outcome: Node.js task API, contract examples and integration-test plan.
Start with the right expectations
Who this is for
JavaScript functions, promises and basic HTTP concepts.
This path develops a demonstrable work sample for the named role. It does not replace employer-specific experience, professional qualifications or supervised practice.
Plan your study time
Use a flexible six-week project schedule: one week for each of the first four stages and two weeks for the portfolio and review. Allow roughly 3–5 hours per week for the case work, in addition to course study. This is a planning suggestion, not a measured course duration or a promise of job readiness.
Read the course access notes before starting. Free viewing or reading does not automatically include certificates, graded assessments, software licences or paid cloud resources. Core case work can be documented with a free editor and spreadsheet; optional implementation tools may have additional requirements.
Your course sequence
Start in the order below. Use the course outline to select the sections relevant to the stage tasks, and complete foundation exercises before moving on. Full provider courses can be substantially longer than this project schedule. These are course resources, not a claimed count of individual lessons.
Resource 01 / Microsoft
Free JavaScript Course: Core Programming Skills
Purpose: Build the foundations. Connect your notes to the case tasks below rather than only collecting completion marks.
Access: Free Video
Certificate: Video viewing only; no certification exam or certificate promised
Resource 02 / Microsoft
Free Node.js Course: Learn Server-Side JavaScript
Purpose: Develop the role-specific method. Connect your notes to the case tasks below rather than only collecting completion marks.
Access: Free Video
Certificate: Video viewing only; no certification exam or certificate promised
Resource 03 / IBM
Free API Development Course: REST, Gateways and GraphQL
Purpose: Strengthen practical application. Connect your notes to the case tasks below rather than only collecting completion marks.
Access: Free Video
Certificate: Free video viewing; IBM certification is not included
Learn, make, check
Keep a decision log as you work. For each stage, capture the assumption, your work product, a check and the change you made after that check. The acceptance criterion is the stopping condition for the stage.
Stage 1 / suggested project week 1
Define the contract
Understand: Routes, methods and status codes express API behavior.
Make: Specify create, read, update and archive operations with JSON examples.
Check before moving on: Document missing-resource and invalid-input responses.
Study companion: Free JavaScript Course: Core Programming Skills. Use its relevant lessons and examples; the independent WikiFree task is not a provider assessment.
Save as evidence: a dated work product and a short note explaining one choice, one alternative and one remaining uncertainty.
Stage 2 / suggested project week 2
Build the service
Understand: Async errors should reach predictable error handling.
Make: Implement or outline routing, validation and an isolated persistence layer.
Check before moving on: Untrusted input is not inserted into shell commands or query strings.
Study companion: Free Node.js Course: Learn Server-Side JavaScript. Use its relevant lessons and examples; the independent WikiFree task is not a provider assessment.
Save as evidence: a dated work product and a short note explaining one choice, one alternative and one remaining uncertainty.
Stage 3 / suggested project week 3
Test the boundaries
Understand: APIs need negative tests and state transition checks.
Make: Test empty titles, missing IDs, duplicate requests and forbidden transitions.
Check before moving on: A rejected request leaves stored state unchanged.
Study companion: Free API Development Course: REST, Gateways and GraphQL. Use its relevant lessons and examples; the independent WikiFree task is not a provider assessment.
Save as evidence: a dated work product and a short note explaining one choice, one alternative and one remaining uncertainty.
Stage 4 / suggested project week 4
Document operation
Understand: A consumer needs more than a list of route names.
Make: Write local setup, example requests and a failure-recovery note.
Check before moving on: Explain that authentication and production hardening are additional work if not implemented.
Study companion: Free API Development Course: REST, Gateways and GraphQL. Use its relevant lessons and examples; the independent WikiFree task is not a provider assessment.
Save as evidence: a dated work product and a short note explaining one choice, one alternative and one remaining uncertainty.
Stage 5 / suggested project weeks 5–6
Present your portfolio
Assemble the four work products into Node.js task API, contract examples and integration-test plan. Write a README explaining the problem, your assumptions, the decisions you made, tests actually performed and what remains incomplete.
Give a five-minute walkthrough: one minute for the problem, two for the work and evidence, one for trade-offs and one for the next improvement. If you have not implemented a proposed system, label it a design or prototype rather than a deployed solution.
Acceptance: a reviewer can locate each work product, reproduce the key reasoning and identify the limits without a private explanation from you.
The portfolio brief
A workshop organizer needs a task API for coordinators. Define and implement a local API with consistent errors, input validation and clear asynchronous behavior.
Deliver: Node.js task API, contract examples and integration-test plan.
| task id | title | status |
|---|---|---|
| T 1 | Confirm trainer | open |
| T 2 | Review workbook | in_progress |
| T 3 | Send joining details | done |
Use these small inputs to make the reasoning visible. They are not a representative dataset, a real client engagement or evidence of production performance. Where the brief requires additional sample records, create them yourself, label them synthetic and explain why you added them.
The ZIP includes the case CSV, four stage worksheets, course sequence, decision log, test log, portfolio README template, review rubric and reference reasoning. It is a starter kit for your work, not a completed application, professional report or proprietary project file.
Check your reasoning
A client sends an empty task title. Should the server create a record and fix it later?
Write your answer and assumptions before opening the reference.
Read the reference reasoning
No. Reject the request with a documented validation response and leave state unchanged. Validation rules should be shared in the API contract.
Portfolio review rubric
| Criterion | Points | Evidence required |
|---|---|---|
| Problem and scope | 4 | A clear user, need, boundary and assumptions |
| Role-specific work | 8 | 2 points for each of the four stage acceptance checks |
| Reasoning and validation | 4 | Independent checks, actual results and uncertainty |
| Communication and reproducibility | 4 | A usable README, source links and reviewable work products |
Aim for at least 16/20 as a self-review target, with no missing stage acceptance check. This is a WikiFree practice rubric, not an industry credential or a hiring assessment.
Interview practice
How did you prove an error response did not partially mutate data?
Answer using the case: context, your action, evidence and limitation. Describe this honestly as a self-directed project. Do not present fictional organizations, invented interviews or practice results as paid work experience.
Your progress
Use this checklist as a personal study aid. Progress is stored in this browser when local storage is available; it is not an account record or a certificate.
0 of 5 milestones complete
The lessons and projects remain readable without JavaScript. Automatic progress saving requires JavaScript.
Questions before you start
Will this path qualify me for a job?
It helps you study relevant foundations and produce a work sample. Employers may require additional skills, qualifications and experience. Review actual role requirements before applying; no job or certification is guaranteed.
Are all tools and certificates free?
The linked learning routes were selected for free viewing or reading. Follow the separate access and certificate notes on each course. Paid tools and cloud deployment are optional; document a local design when implementation resources are unavailable.
Can I follow this on a phone?
You can read the path and many learning resources on a phone. Coding, detailed spreadsheet work, design tools and mobile-app development are easier or require a suitable computer. The page is designed to reflow; that is not a claim that every physical device has been tested.
Questions & discussion
Share a useful question or correction. Comments appear after moderation. Please avoid personal or sensitive information.